{"id":14981,"date":"2019-08-07T14:37:44","date_gmt":"2019-08-07T14:37:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gormahia.net\/latest\/?p=14981"},"modified":"2019-08-07T15:01:10","modified_gmt":"2019-08-07T15:01:10","slug":"steve-pollack-arrives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gormahia.net\/latest\/news\/steve-pollack-arrives\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Polack arrives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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British coach Steve Polack who is widely expected to become the new head coach of Gor Mahia FC arrived in the country on Wednesday at 2:42 PM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was most recently a coach in Ghana. In 2018, he was coach at Asante Kotoko, the storied Ghanaian side. He took over after former Gor Mahia coach Zdravko Logarusic departed. Kotoko were fourth in the league when the league was abandoned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2017 he was coach at Berekum Chelsea when they finished 8th in the league. In 2011 again he was coach at Berekum Chelsea when they won the Ghanaian league. In 2009 he was coach at King Faisal when they finished 4th in the Ghanaian league. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polack also holds Finland citizenship and coached there for many years. In 2007 he coached second tier side PK Keski Uusimmaa. In 2006 he was coach at FC Raahe when they finished fourth in the Finnish top tier (Vekkausliga). In 2005 he coached AC Oulu when they finished tenth in the Finnish top tier. Prior to that he coached a number of teams in the Ginnish lower tiers. He has also had numerous stints as an assistant coach in Finland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore his coaching experience is vast and he is used to the vagaries of coaching an African team such as the lack of equipment, insufficient training facilities, player go slows and strikes as well as incompetence and interference from officials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to coaching, Polack played most of his career in Finland. He played for RoPS of Rovaniemi in the Finnish top tier between 1984 and 1994. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He then played for Inter Turku also in the Finnish top tier for 3 years before becoming their head coach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional reporting from the Nation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should he, as widely expected, be named Gor Mahia coach on Thursday, Steve Polack’s immediate role is to mastermind a win for the Kenyan champions against their Burundian counterparts Aigle Noir Makamba FC in the preliminaries of the 2019\/2020 Caf Champions League.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Englishman arrived in Nairobi at 2:42pm Wednesday to replace Hassan Oktay, who delivered his resignation letter to K’Ogalo <\/em>chairman Ambrose Rachier on Tuesday evening, citing ‘personal’ problems in his native Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polack will sign a two-year contract on Thursday before departing with the team to Bujumbura Friday morning in time for Sunday’s Champions League first leg clash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This game is set for the 10,000 seater Intwari stadium, formerly known as the Prince Louis Rwagasore stadium, in the country’s capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gor assistant coach Patrick Odhiambo has been preparing the first team in Oktay’s absence, but Nation Sport <\/em>understands club chairman Rachier had to move in fast and bring in Polack as the former Sony Sugar coach doesn’t have the requisite qualifications to take charge of a continental title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is important to have someone who has African football management experience,” Gor Chief Executive Lordvick Aduda explained.<\/p>\n

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